Summer In The Country
by Ultimate Thorny Rose
Summary: Sequel to City Meets Country and the final installment in the series of stories following The City Boy And The Country Girl. Ella, Nudge, Valencia, and everyone else who came to Dallas from New York have decided to stay in Dallas instead of going back to New York. AH. Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Max's POV

My family and I now have facebook accounts. Mom created a page for my family's ranch. It has a few likes.

J.J's family does not own a ranch. They have a pasture and a barn with an indoor riding arena. Midnight is the only animal they have. J.J's family lives a little down the road from my family's ranch. When it's too rainy to go for trail ride or work in the outdoor arena, Ari and I would take Ace and Bullet over to J.J's family's place in the trailer and the three of us would work in the indoor arena. The Ride family's trailer can carry three horses. When there's a rodeo, multiple trips need to be made, becuase every one of my family members (except mom and dad, because they stay home and look after the sheep, chickens, goats, and cattle) competes on their horse (or pony, in the case of Angel and Gazzy).

Me and my family, plus Fang, Valencia, Ella, and Nudge, woke up, got dressed, had breakfast, and then set off to do our own thing. Me, Ari, Gazzy, Angel, Fang, Ella, and Nuge did the chores, Valencia got ready for work, and my parents did the dishes.

After the chores were done, Ari went over to Giselle's house, Fang took his car for a drive down the road (he's grown a love for driving down back roads), Ella, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy went on their computers. Yes, everyone in the Ride family, plus Ella and Nudge, have their own computer. Before we got our facebook accounts, me and my family would use our computers for homework (well, me and my siblings would) and checking when rodeos were. Now we use the computer to do those things, as well as check facebook.

I was sitting in a lawn chair in front of the riding ring, playing my guitar and writing a song.

**(A/N: Song is Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland. Italics=Max singing.)**

_Absolutely no one who knows me better_

_No one that can make me feel so good_

_How did we stay so long together?_

_When everybody said we never would_

_And just when I_

_Start to think they're right_

_The love has died_

_There you go making my heart beat again_

_Heart beat again, heart beat again_

_There you go making me feel like a kid_

_Won't you do it, do it one time?_

_There you go pulling me right back in_

_Right back in, right back in_

_And I know I'm never letting this go_

_I'm stuck on you_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

_Some days I don't feel like trying_

_Some days you know I wanna just give up_

_When it doesn't matter who's right_

_Fight about it all night_

_Had enough, you give me that look_

_I'm sorry baby let's make up_

_You do that thing that makes me laugh_

_And just like that_

_There you go making my heart beat again_

_Heart beat again, heart beat again_

_There you go making me feel like a kid_

_Won't you do it, do it one time?_

_There you go pulling me right back in_

_Right back in, right back in_

_And I know I'm never letting this go_

_I'm stuck on you_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, you almost stay out_

_Two stuck together from the ATL out_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, feeling kinda sick_

_Just a spoon full of sugar make it better real quick_

_I say, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whatcha gonna do with that?_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, come on over here with that_

_Sugar sticky sweet stuff, come and give me that stuff_

_Everybody want some_

_Melodies that get stuck up in your head_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, up in your head_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, up in your head_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, up in your head_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Stuck like glue_

_You and me together, say it's all I wanna do_

_I said there you go making my heart beat again_

_Heart beat again, heart beat again_

_There you go making me feel like a kid_

_Won't you do it, do it one time?_

_There you go pulling me right back in_

_Right back in, right back in_

_And I know I'm never letting this go_

_There you go making my heart beat again_

_Heart beat again, heart beat again_

_There you go making me feel like a kid_

_Won't you do it, do it one time?_

_There you go pulling me right back in_

_Right back in, right back in_

_And I know I'm never letting this go_

_I'm stuck on you_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue_

_You and me baby, we're stuck like glue_

Angelcame up to me and asked me if I wanted to go riding with her and Gazzy. I smiled and said "sure, darlin'.

I put my guitar away and then joined Angel in the pasture. We led Bullet and Piper to the barn. Gazzy was already in the barn. He was putting Chip's tack on. Angel and I put Bullet and Piper in their stalls, and tacked them up.

Angel, Gazzy, and I checked to make sure our saddles were tightened, led the horses into the yard, and got on.

And then we rode out of the yard.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Third person POV

The next morning, Fang was woken up by a scream of "wake up!"

Fang's eyes fluttered open and he found myself face to face with Angel. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of blue denim jeans, a pink cowboy hat, and a Western show shirt constructed of black and pink lycra with embellishment. It had a metallic grey, black and pink leather applique with coordinating Swarovski crystals.

"There's a rodeo today!" Angel exclaimed. "I figured you'd wanna come and watch, because you've never been to a rodeo before."

"Who's going to the rodeo?" Fang asked Angel.

"That you would know? Max, Ari, me, Gazzy, and J.J. are competing, and Nudge, Ella, your mom, Giselle, Travis, Alyson, and Caleb are coming to watch." Angel said.

"I'm up for coming to watch." Fang said.

"Great!" Angel exclaimed. "Get dressed! We're leaving today!"

"Will anyone need any help with anything?" Fang asked Angel.

Angel nodded her head. "Your mom already left with Nudge and Ella to find a nearby hotel, since they don't have a camper. I think she'd want you to stay in the hotel with them. J.J. drove Travis to find a nearby hotel, since he doesn't have a camper, and her family wouldn't be too keen on him staying in theirs, and Caleb drove Alyson to find a nearby hotel, since neither of them have a camper, and neither of their parents like the rodeo. Ari left with the camper, which he put on his truck. Max will need help getting the tack on her truck. She can handle putting the trailer on there."

Angel left Fang's bedroom, and he got dressed in a red and black plaid shirt and a pair of blue denim jeans. He joined Angel downstairs. She slipped on her dark brown cowboy boots, and Fang slipped on a pair of Jeb's old cowboy boots. They were black. They went out the door.

Angel and Fang saw that Max had already put the trailer on her truck. She had her hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a pair of dark brown cowboy boots, a pair of blue denim jeans, a black cowboy hat, and a Western show shirt constructed of black and red lycra with embellishment. It had a metallic grey, black and red leather applique with coordinating Swarovski crystals.

"Where's Gazzy?" Angel asked Max.

"He's gone to get Chip." Max said. "You go get Piper. Fang and I will put the tack on the truck, and then I'll go get Bullet, and Fang will get Ace."

The Ride family's trailer could fit four horses.

Angel opened the tailgate of Max's truck, then headed towards the pasture.

Max and Fang went into the tack room. Max opened a red tack box. It was empty. She put Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's brushes, Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's brushes, and Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's saddle, bridles, and blankets in the box. Max grabbed one end of the box, and Fang grabbed the other. They walked out of the barn (Fang going backwards, and Max going forwards), and put the box on Max's truck.

"What about hay and feed?" Fang asked Max.

"Hay and feed are provided for the competitors." Max said. "But brushes, feed buckets, water buckets, and hay nets are not provided, so we have to bring our own."

Max went back into the barn and retrieved Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's feed buckets, Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's water buckets, and Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's hay nets. She came out of the barn and put them on the tailgate of her truck. Max closed the tailgate of her truck.

Angel and Gazzy returned with Chip and Piper. Fang opened the trailer's double doors, and Angel and Gazzy loaded the two ponies onto the trailer. They hooked them up to their chains. Max and Fang headed towards the pasture. Max returned with Bullet, and Fang returned with Ace. They loaded the two horses onto the trailer. They hooked them up to their chains. Gazzy closed the trailer's double doors.

"We're good to go." Max said. She got into the drivers' seat of her truck, Fang got into the passengers' seat, and Angel and Gazzy got in the back. Max started up the engine, and then drove out of the yard.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Fang's POV

Eventually we reached the entrance grounds of the rodeo. Max stopped her truck at the gate. She rolled down her window. A middle aged man wearing a red and white plaid shirt, blue denim jeans, a tan cowboy hat, and dark brown cowboy boots walked up and spoke to her through the window. "Are you competing, or are you here to watch?"

"Only one person in this truck is here to watch." Max said.

"He'll need to buy a three-day pass." The man said. "They're 10 dollars each."

I handed Max 10 dollars, and she handed them to the man. He handed her a pass. Max handed the pass to me. I put it in the pocket of my blue denim jeans.

The man looked at Max. "What's your name, ma'am?"

"Maximum Ride." Max said. "I'm here with my siblings, Spencer and Angel, and my boyfriend Fang Martinez. Fang is not competing. The rest of us are. I will be competing on my horse, Bullet, Spencer will be competing on his pony, Chip, and Angel will be competing on her pony, Piper. We also brought my twin brother Ari's horse Ace. Ari took a camper here, so he couldn't take his horse."

The man looked at the clipboard grasped in his hand. "Maximum Ride, you are number 22." He handed her a program, four safety pins and a white card with the Dallas Rodeo logo above the number 22 written in black. There were holes in the top and bottom corners of the card for the safety pins to go through. Max placed the items in the glove compartment.

The man looked at the clipboard grasped in his hand. "Ari Ride is number 23." He handed Max a program, four safety pins and a white card with the Dallas Rodeo logo above the number 23 written in black. There were holes in the top and bottom corners of the card for the safety pins to go through. Max placed the items in the glove compartment.

The man looked at the clipboard grasped in his hand. "Spencer Ride is number 24." He handed Max a program, four safety pins and a white card with the Dallas Rodeo logo above the number 24 written in black. There were holes in the top and bottom corners of the card for the safety pins to go through. Max placed the items in the glove compartment.

The man looked at the clipboard grasped in his hand. "Angel Ride is number 25." He handed Max a program, four safety pins and a white card with the Dallas Rodeo logo above the number 25 written in black. There were holes in the top and bottom corners of the card for the safety pins to go through. Max placed the items in the glove compartment.

"Do you know where the nearest hotel is?" I asked the man. "My mom, my sister, and her best friend are staying there. I'll be staying with them."

"There's a hotel right across the street." The man said. I looked. Sure enough, there was a hotel.

"Great. Thanks!" I said. Max drove through the gate. She found a vacant spot close to the barn and parked there. She shut off the engine. We got out of the truck.

"Can you pin my number on the back of my shirt?" Max asked me.

"Sure." I said. I pinned Max's number to the back of her shirt using safety pins. The number had been safely secured. "All right, you're ready to go."

Max pinned Angel and Gazzy's numbers to the back of their show shirts using safety pins.

Ari walked over to us. Giselle wasn't with him. "Hey."

"Hey Ari." Gazzy said.

"Where's Giselle?" Angel asked Ari.

"She's at the hotel across the street, same with everyone else that doesn't have a camper. They're unpacking their stuff." Ari said.

"Is the camper all set up?" Gazzy asked Ari.

"Yep." Ari said.

Max pinned Ari's number to the back of his show shirt using safety pins.

Ari took Ace's lead line off the tailgate of Max's truck. He opened the trailer's double doors. He unhooked Ace from his chain and led him into the barn. His siblings followed his lead. I closed the trailer's double doors.

Max opened up the tailgate of her truck and climbed up in. I followed her. She grabbed one end of the tack box, and I grabbed the other. I walked backwards towards the barn while she walked forwards. We found a vacant stall and put the tack box in there. Most of the stalls in this barn were box stalls with sliding doors. There were a few that were standing stalls without doors. Those stalls had tack boxes in them. Horses were in the box stalls with sliding doors.

"Fang and I will be right back." Max told her siblings. "I'm gonna drive him to the hotel."

"I'll do it." Ari said. "I know which hotel Giselle and the others are staying in. It'd be better if I drove him."

"You're right." Max said to Ari. She kissed my right cheek. "I'll see you when you get back here, Fang."

"Schedules are avaibale at the canteen. They're free. The food isn't." Ari said to Max. "I didn't get one. Get me one, please, and get some for the others as well."

"Okay." Max said. She, Angel, and Gazzy headed towards the canteen to get schedules, and Ari drove me to the hotel across the street.

Max's POV

I looked at the schedule I had gotten.

2014 Dallas Rodeo Schedule Of Events

**Friday, July 4**

_10:07- 11:07 a.m. Novice Saddle Bronc_

_11:07- 12:00 a.m. Pole Bending for females ages 10 to 13_

_12:00- 1:00 p.m. Lunch_

_1:02- 2:02 p.m. Steer Roping (singles) for males and females ages 14 to 19_

_3:02- 4:02 p.m. Open Saddle Bronc_

_5:02-6:02 p.m. Supper_

_6:04-7:04 p.m. Barrel Racing for females ages 14 to 19_

**Saturday, July 5**

_11:07- 12:00 a.m. Novice Bareback_

_12:00- 1:00 p.m. Lunch_

_1:02- 2:02 p.m. Tie Down Roping for males ages 14 to 19_

_3:02- 4:02 p.m. Open Bareback_

_5:02-6:02 p.m. Supper_

_6:04-7:04 p.m. Barrel Racing for males ages 14 to 19_

**Sunday, July 6**

_10:07- 11:07 a.m. Steer Roping (teams) for males and females age 14 to 19_

_11:07- 12:00 a.m. Bull Riding for males ages 20 to 30_

_12:00- 1:00 p.m. Lunch_

_1:02- 2:02 p.m. Steer Wrestling for males ages 14 to 19_

_3:02- 4:02 p.m. Tie Down Roping for females ages 14 to 19_

_5:02-6:02 p.m. Pole Bending for males ages 10 to 13_

The Novice Saddle Bronc event was currently going on. Angel's event is next. She's 10. Gazzy is 12. Ari and J.J. are on a team for Steer Roping. They're not competing in the singles version. Gazzy's competing in the Pole Bending event for males ages 10 to 13. I'm competing in the Barrel Racing event for females ages 14 to 19. Neither me, Angel, Gazzy, Ari, nor J.J. are in any of the other events going on this weekend. We're going to watch them.

"I should go warm Piper up." Angel said. She walked away.

Ari's POV

Fang and I had gotten back from the hotel. Caleb, Alyson, Valencia, Ella, Nudge, Travis, and J.J. had as well.

Max walked over to us. She handed everyone a schedule.

"The Novice Saddle Bronc event is currently going on. Angel's event is next. She headed to the barn right before you guys got back here." Max said.

"Let's go watch the Novice Saddle Bronc event." I said. Me and the others headed to the main riding arena. There are two riding arenas - the warmup one, which is located in the barn where the horses and ponies are kept, and the main one, which is located in the barn where the bulls are kept. The arenas are the same size. The steers have their own barn, and that barn doesn't have an arena.

Gazzy's POV

Angel was the last rider up for her event.

"The last rider up for this event is ring number 25, Angel Ride." The announcer said.

Piper walked into the arena. Angel made her do a little circle, then she clicked her tongue and Piper started to run towards the end of the arena.

The timer started. Angel weaved through the poles at a fast pace. Her time was 20 seconds.

Angel exited the arena.

A few minutes passed.

"All riders, please come into the arena and line up facing your ringmaster. It is time for your placings." The announcer said.

The riders came into the arena and formed a line. The announcer (who was female) announced the placings. Angel had won.

Angel's POV

After I had gotten my 1st place ribbon, I exited the arena. Max and the others walked over to me.

"Good job, Angel." Max smiled at me.

"Thanks Max." I smiled back.

I gave Piper a quick pet on the neck. "Good girl!"

"Can you go put my ribbon in the camper, please?" I asked Ari.

Ari nodded. "Sure."

I handed my ribbon to Ari. He headed towards the camper.

I got off Piper and led her to the barn where the horses and ponies were kept. I put her in her stall, took off her tack, put the tack back in the tack box, brushed her off, then closed the stall door. She had a hay net in case she got hungry. There was currently no hay in it.

This is how every barn looks - all the animals are kept in box stalls with sliding doors, and there are standing stalls without doors to keep a bale of hay (which will last the whole weekend), tack boxes, water buckets, a feed bag for all the animals in the barn, and feed buckets for each animal in the barn. There is no twine on the hay, and there is a feed scoop inside the feed bag, which is open. There is a water tap right outside the entrance double doors of every barn. The feed bag will stay until its gone. The water tap is to be turned off when you're done with it.

Fang's POV

The last event today was the Barrel Racing event for females ages 14 to 19. Max is in this event. She's 18, like me, Ari, Caleb, Alyson, Giselle, Ella, and Nudge.

Max was the last rider competing in the event.

"The last rider up for this event is ring number 22, Maximum Ride." The announcer said.

The gates opened. Max clicked her tongue and gently tapped Bullet's side with the tips of her boot. He ran out at a fast pace, and Max spun him around the barrels before running through the gate at a fast pace. Her time was 14 seconds.

Max exited the arena.

A few minutes passed.

"All riders, please come into the arena and line up facing your ringmaster. It is time for your placings." The announcer said.

The riders came into the arena and formed a line. The announcer (who was female) announced the placings. Max had won.

Max's POV

After I had gotten my 1st place ribbon, I exited the arena. J.J. and the others walked over to me.

"Good job, Max." J.J. smiled at me.

"Thanks J.J." I smiled back.

I gave Bullet a quick pet on the neck. "Good boy!"

"Can you go put my ribbon in the camper, please?" I asked Ari.

Ari nodded. "Sure."

I handed my ribbon to Ari. He headed towards the camper.

I got off Bullet and led her to the barn where the horses and ponies were kept. I put him in her stall, took off her tack, put the tack back in the tack box, brushed him off, then closed the stall door. He had a hay net in case he got hungry. There was currently no hay in it.

**Saturday, July 5**

Max's POV

Me and the others sat in the bleachers. We were watching the Novice Bareback event. Eventually the event ended. Then it was time for lunch. The next event, Tie Down Roping for males ages 14 to 19 started and eventually ended. Then the next event, Open Bareback, started and eventually ended. Then it was time for supper. The last event of the day, Barrel Racing for males ages 14 to 19, started and eventually ended. The winning time for the Barrel Racing event for males ages 14 to 19 was 13 seconds.

**Sunday, July 6**

Fang's POV

Me and the others sat in the bleachers. We watched each event until it ended. It was now 6:02 p.m. The arenas were cleared of horse, pony, bull, and steer shit. Every competitor returned their numbers and safety pins to the man working the entrance gate.

Me and the others went to the canteen and ate a quick supper. Mom drove Ella and Nudge to the hotel. Ella said she would pack my stuff for me and then mom would come get me and bring me back to the ranch.

Third person POV

Caleb helped Ari clean up the camper, and then he left with everyone else who was staying in the hotel. Ari put the camper on his truck. He headed to the horse trailer.

Ari opened the trailer's double doors. He went inside the barn. He hooked Ace's lead line to his halter and loaded him onto the trailer. Max followed him with Bullet. Angel followed with Max with Piper. Gazzy followed Angel with Chip.

Ari closed the trailer's double doors. He, Max, Angel, and Gazzy put their lead lines on the back of Max's truck, which was closed. The feed buckets, hay nets (which had no hay in them), and water buckets were already there.

Max and Fang went into the barn. Max put Bullet's, Ace's, Piper's, and Chip's brushes and tack in the tack box. She grabbed one end of the box, and Fang grabbed the other. They walked out of the barn (Fang going backwards, and Max going forwards), and put the box on Max's truck. Max and Fang hopped down from the tailgate of Max's truck, and Max closed the tailgate.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fang's POV

″Do you wanna go for a trail ride with me?″ Max asked me.

″Sure.″ I replied.

Max put her hair in a ponytail and slipped on her cowboy boots. I slipped on an old pair of her dad's cowboy boots, and we walked out the door.

In the barn, Max saddled up Bullet, and I saddled up Spirit.

We led the horses out of the barn and then swung onto their backs. Then we headed to the lake trail.

Max's POV

Bullet walked into the water, and Spirit followed him. I laughed as Bullet pretended to be terrified of the water, pawing at it then jumping in fright. Fang shouted in surprise as some of the water landed on him and Spirit – with his back turned, he hadn't seen it coming. By the time he whirled around, me and Bullet were standing still and looked perfectly innocent. Spirit shook violently, sending water flying everywhere. Both Fang and I were laughing as the horses climbed out of the lake. "I'll get you back for that one, Maximum Ride!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!"

Fang grinned and turned Spirit around as me and Bullet were still coming out of the lake.

"Race you back to the ranch!" He exclaimed.

Fang gently tapped Spirit with the tips of his boots, and the horse started to run. I gently tapped Bullet with the tips of my boots, and he took off running after Spirit.

Third person POV

Bullet ran past Spirit. Fang clicked his tongue, and Spirit ran a bit faster. However, he couldn't beat Bullet.

"Face it, Fang, you'll never beat me in a race." Max said. A smug grin crossed her face.

"Wipe that smug grin off your face, or I'll do it for you." Fang said.

"How?" His girlfriend asked.

Fang picked Max up and threw her over his right shoulder. He opened the passengers' side door of his car and plopped Max down in the passenger seat. He closed the passenger door. He opened the drivers' side door and sat down in the drivers' seat. He started the engine.

Fang drove to the lake. He unbuckled his seatbelt, got of the car, opened the passengers' side door, unbuckled Max's seat belt, and threw her over his right shoulder. He walked into the lake a bit, then dropped Max into the water. He walked out of the lake. Max's head came up from under the water. "That's how."

Max stood up. Her clothes were soaked. She glared at Fang. "Fang Martinez! You are SO dead!"

THE END

**A/N: Please review!**


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